Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Wunderbar

This past Sunday, I joined my friend Tim for dinner in downtown Bangkok.

Food was great and service was friendly. We even enjoyed our waitress's insane t-shirt, but if you want to know what it means, you'll have to ask the mad poet who designed it.


If it's too small to see, it reads:

CHANEL

WUNDERBAR

Why does It always Rain On Me?
Shiluy a inyage
Flowers in the window
contert by honey
happy On your love me
Hunderas honney
Anywheer i lay head
Thanks bor coming
this month in Sims valley


I think wunderbar means "wonderful" in German. Aside from that, your guess is as good as mine.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

There's No Place Like Home

These are some pictures I took a few months ago during a pit stop at one of the many souvenir shops that line the road between Korat and Bangkok.

The shops are open all day, but they're especially spectacular at night. The vendors mostly sell fruits, homemade snacks, juices - all brightly wrapped and lit up by mega-watt light bulbs. In the pitch black of the Thai countryside, the radiating colors grab you like visual MSG. You can almost feel the primal warmth of the reds, yellows and greens soothing your starving retinas that have been staring at nothing but illuminated gray concrete for the last 150 km.

The shops are about 100 kms outside of Bangkok in the middle of nowhere and serve only one purpose - a last chance to buy a gift for family and loved ones before you return home from a trip upcountry.

If you come home empty handed, you might as well not come home at all because it's obvious that during your trip, family was as far from your mind as you were from your home.

The fact that most of the products have the location of where they were sold stamped on the label is also useful evidence to prove that you actually went where you said you were going and not playing hooky in the dark alleys of Bangkok or on a clandestine road trip with friends to a seaside resort.

All in all, the souvenir snack shops are a subtle, indirect way of showing (proving to) your loved ones where you went - at least 100 kms outside of Bangkok (in the right direction) and what you were doing - struggling to be productive during your business trip due to the overwhelming pangs of homesickness.

Nothing says there's no place like home like a bushel of candy-apple red rambutan or some freshly squeezed guava juice from Pak Chong District in Nakorn Ratchasima.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Lovely Lena

Wow! Just... Wow!

Back to the Bangkok Governor's race. I profiled Chuwit already - not because I'm interested in Bangkok politics, but because he's such a quirky character. A close second to Chuwit in the quirky category is Lena Jung, otherwise known as Lovely Lena. Whereas Chuwit's quirkiness is more on the eccentric side of the spectrum, Lena finds herself on the extremely insane side of quirky.

She's called Lovely Lena because she owns a line of Hi-So (High Society) beauty products.

Here are some samples of her products:

- Pink Nipple Nourishing Cream
- Big + Up Breast Cream for Growth and Firming
- Lift-Up Whitening Cream- Whitening Milk Shower Spa Cream
- Whitening Armpit Cream
- Eye Primer Gel
- Stretch Mark Remover
- Acne & Blemish Whitening Cream

Not sure what inspired her to get into politics. Oh, right... she's insane.

This past Wednesday, she was out campaigning and, not unlike Banharn Silpa-archa last year, she fell into one Bangkok's bacteria-ridden canals. Only, unlike Banharn, she did it on purpose - to show her support for canal safety. That's her in the pink.



She's got my vote.



It worked so well that she did it again on Thursday. But this time, her entire campaign team fell in. To dramatize the danger and filth of the canal, one member, Thirasak, flailed wildly and cried for help. Everybody cheered and laughed, as he played for the cameras. One problem - he was really drowning.

I read where Lena is going to take some time off from her campaign to help with funeral arrangements and look after Thirasak's wife who is 7 months pregnant.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Sin City Tribune

About once a week I break down and have some Western food. The best place in Korat is the Pizza Shop, located just outside the city center and a 5 minute drive from my house.

The bulk of the menu is an array of 30-some styles of pizza, but they also have tacos, enchiladas, steaks, other Italian dishes, and some Thai food. All are excellent, but I always get their Calzone. It's made from scratch - not one of those frozen deals that are usually offered upcountry, where it's difficult to find the proper ingredients locally.

Being homemade, it takes a long time to prepare - nearly 20 minutes. Normally, when eating alone, this would be excruciatingly awkward, as I sat staring at my table while waiting for my food. Fortunately, to help pass the time, The Pizza Shop always has the most recent issue of the Pattaya Weekly, a newspaper from Thailand's notorious tourist town on the Easter Seaboard.


From afar, the Pattaya's beaches look pristine, but you'll never find me in the water - not even to escape a swarm of killer bees. Being next to Thailand's largest sea port doesn't help - neither does the discarded human refuge that occasionally washes up along the shore (see below).

Although Pattaya is one of Thailand's most popular tourist destinations, it also happens to have the worst reputation. For example, if a new acquaintance or someone you don't know asks you if you have ever been to Pattaya, answer - no. They don't want you to recommend a decent hotel or trade travel adventure stories. They're trying to find out whether or not it's safe to leave you alone with their daughter. You see, Pattaya is the adult, real-life version of Pinocchio's Pleasure Island, the Devil's Playground, Sin City.

That being said, I've taken my mom there (there are two sides to every city, I suppose). It just happens to be that Pattaya's shadier side gets all the publicity.

The Pattaya Weekly with it's in-depth review of the past week's murders, robberies, accidents and scandals is mostly to blame. The instinctive curiosity of humans, when it comes to the darker side of life may deserve some of the blame, as well.

These are the headlines from the Pattaya One Newsroom website (similar to the Pattaya Weekly) for the previous week. Keep in mind, this is for a city of roughly 100,000 people - not New York, London, or Rome.

Warning: not for the feint of heart. No respectable crime story is worth publishing without a picture.

HEADLINES
22-09-08


Korean man falls to his death from North Pattaya Hotel.

Man found dead in Temple Grounds.

Civil Engineer brutally shot and killed in front of his home.

30 day drug and gun Police crackdown around Chonburi Province begins.


20-09-08

Pattaya Police arrest four women caught with Yabba Tablets (Speed, I think) and a gun.

Floating body spotted in the waters off Island located 8kms off the coast of Pattaya.


10 people injured in high speed road crash.

Two men arrested with Gun after they failed to stop at Police Checkpoint.


19-09-08

Further Meeting discusses sustainable tourism here in Pattaya. (Sorry I missed that one meeting)


Traffic Police arrest man with loaded gun near the entrance to Walking Street.

Tourist Police arrest Cambodian Sex CD Vendor in Walking Street.

Man attacked and robbed by two so-called Pattaya Police Volunteers.


18-09-08

Preparation meeting for the Chonburi Travel Fair 2009.

72 year old Security Guard dies following a fall down a flight of stairs.

Shaken Nurse becomes the next victim of an armed break-in.

Medical Emergency on Speedboat at the Bali Hai Port.


17-09-08

Pattaya Ginjai Festival Press Conference.

Mystery surrounds suicide in South Pattaya.

Drama in Soi Kow Tha Low as woman gives birth in her home.

Unusual case involving an armed motorbike theft and abduction of its owner.


16-09-08

Pattaya Long Boat Competition Press Conference.

Man killed in early morning shooting in Naklua.

Two women seriously hurt in Sukhumvit Road crash.

Welder seriously hurt as he comes into contact with live power cables.



15-09-08

1st Anniversary for Central Pattaya Bird Shop.

Frenchman attempts suicide in South Pattaya.

Italian prevents bag snatch in Soi Arunotai.


Tourist Police arrest suspected thief operating in Walking Street Discotheque.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Happy Dog

Stray dogs fill the streets of Thailand. They also fill the schools, temples, jungles, and villages.

Coming home late at night is a virtual obstacle course, as you weave in and around (and sometimes over) mounds of fur enjoying the warmth of the pavement in the cool evening.

They're known as the Godfather of the Road, and they have the uncanny ability to move out of the way of your car at the last possible second (most of the time).

When they're awoken by your headlights or the sound of your engine, they may look up. If they do, you're bound to get the "who the h$ll are you" look, as if to say, I can't believe this human is going to make me stand up and move out of the way. Most couldn't be bothered and you end up slamming your brakes or swerving at the last moment into a lamp post or some old lady pushing a cart of spring rolls.

You see, in Thailand dogs may be man's best friend - the same as the rest of the world, but here, the relationship is based on different terms. Unlike America, where people generally adopt stray dogs. In Thailand, stray dogs adopt people - that is, if you are deemed worthy enough.

And that was the case with Stewart, his wife, and their new pharmacy, Happy Drugs. Soon after it was opened, a benevolent stray decided that Stewart and Happy Drugs were deserving of its presence and moved in.

Excited to be adopted, Stewart invited me over to Happy Drugs for a formal introduction to his new beneficiary - Happy Dog


Happy dog is old, but still willing to look after a young British lad and his Thai wife.


Happy Dog only listens to half of everything you say, but as Stewart says, when it goes in one ear, at least it stays there.



He also has a silver Mohawk. I believe it's natural, but could have been the work of some drunk motorcycle taxi drivers. We'll see in a few weeks.


Happy Dog has some flea, tick and mange problem and will never enjoy the gentle pet of a human hand, but what self-respecting dog would ever wish to be coddled or caressed by a hairless ape anyway.



Happy Dog rarely smiles, but the joy of adopting humans and giving them the companionship they need to fill the gaps in their mundane lives provides a satisfaction that can never be measured or expressed with a simple, mangle-toothed grin.

For Happy Dog, life's good deeds are mainly unappreciated and even unnoticed, but as a lesson to humans and what we aspire to be, it's comforting to know that in our mixed up, screwed up world - even at the lowest levels of society, in the most absurd situations or set of circumstances, true altruism does exist.


By the way, this picture is in focus.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Vietnamese Hot Pot

Hot Pot at the Tea House





and fried bananas with coconut ice cream.

You're All Individuals

I'm not.

This reminds me of games I played with students during my Peace Corps days and Monty Python's Life of Brian.



Sunday, September 14, 2008

If You Can't Beat Them...

Like any place in the world, Thailand has its share of personalities - guys who don't really do anything, but always seem to be around, whether on TV, in magazines, at the police station, or in Parliament. One of my favorite personalities in Thailand is Chuwit Kamolvisit.

When you mention Chuwit, everyone knows who you're talking about - no need for a last name. And when people talk about him, the mere sound of his name always seems to prompt a strong reaction. Depending on your view point, that could be - anger, annoyance, inspiration, intrigue, contempt. The list goes on, but no matter what your feelings are about Chuwit, they are bound to be intense.

Introducing Chuwit, Sex Czar, criminal, crime-fighter, and candidate in this year's Bangkok Gubernational election.

If you spend any time on the Bangkok Expressways, you'll be familiar with this face.

The face of Thailand's self-proclaimed watchdog.

I am the watchdog of Thailand. When you cheat, I bark, When you steal, I bite.

(The "you" is referring to corrupt politicians that may be passing by on the freeway.)


On the hunt for corrupt politicians, policemen, unsavory characters (and votes), Chuwit's billboards line Bangkok's elevated highways with messages like:

Where ever there's a problem - that's where I'm going!!!

(binoculars in hand and on the back of a motorcycle taxi, no less - whatever happened to a Bat Mobile and utility belt?)

Catch cheaters, Expose crooks, With no fear of those with "influence"!!

(the sledge hammer is a nice touch)

No Choice, No Escape,

No Happiness, No Truth!! This is Thai Politics??!!

(Chuwit obviously feels your pain)

While sometimes frustrated, he's mostly pissed!!

and he's coming to get you (corrupt politicians)!!

People like you! With no honor, With no value, Lying to the people, Deceiving the poor, and Destroying hope for society (very weak translation)

But Chuwit has not always been a crime fighter/ politician.

I first heard his name in early 2003, when a city-block of bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops near my apartment were razed at 4 am by a team of soldiers, hired goons, and bulldozers.

The day after, this is all that remained of Sukhumvit Soi 10.


Chuwit had apparently purchased the land and wanted to get rid of the tenants - who, at the time, thought they had legitimate leases. The shocked tenants, who had just seen there livihoods crushed and wiped away, went straight to the police. It is at this point that Chuwit's story really begins.

The true owner of this plot of land and mastermind behind the razing was not known until several months later when the police traced the ownership through a series of "front" companies to Chuwit himself. Once identified, he was arrested and spent 30 days in jail. Eventually, he also paid some kind of compensation to the former tenants.

The money was not a problem for Chuwit, nor was the 30 days in jail.

What really infuriated him was the fact that Chuwit had been paying millions of dollars in bribes to police over the last 10 years and figured they could have use a little discretion when investigating felonies and handing out arrest warrants. You see, Chuwit was the kingpin of Bangkok's largest Exotic Massage Parlor Empire and regular payments to the police were a necessity to keep his operation running. Being stabbed in the back by Bangkok's finest just goes to show you can't trust anybody these days.


Chuwit would not take this disregard for honest bribery sitting down. Upon being arrested, he threatened to reveal the names of all the senior policemen who had taken bribes from him. For this, he earned a certain respect from Bangkok's masses, who are harassed daily by corrupt cops looking for a bit on the side.

Then, Chuwit disappeared for 2 days. No one is sure what exactly happened to him, but he turned up on the side of the road somewhere between Bangkok and Pattaya. He claims that the police had kidnapped and beaten him.

Since then, Chuwit has kept quiet about the long list of names. But never one to go down without a fight and inspired by the eternal saying - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, Chuwit ran for Governor of Bangkok in 2004. He lost.

Unrelenting in his mission to bring justice to the unjust, Chuwit tried again, but this time ran for a seat in Parliament. He won. Thai politics have never been quite the same.

Here he is pulling out a samurai sword at a press conference. Somebody must have broken a promise.

Chuwit had a falling out with one of his party comrades, Banharn Silpa-archa. To show his contempt, Chuwit had lunch outside Banharn's office and chose to eat eel - an animal with a sly, sneaky reputation.

Here he is in the Parliament press room with some special leaves that have a unique texture or grip that farmers use to help them grab slimy eels. Chuwit is going to use them to catch slimy politicians. I'm guessing the lemon grass is used to hide the smell.

Well, after recent events in Thai politics, it looks like Chuwit is going to need a lot more lemon grass.

When politicians betray you, how should the people feel?

It's relentless, risky work, with no guarantee of success, reward, or even appreciation - although I do enjoy his billboards.

Alas, poor Chuwit, battle, by day, this sea of slimy serpents - by night, soak in a sea of suds and savor your sensual massage.